I Want to See You Break
by 101Witch101
Summary: The first lashing was always the most painful. A darker take on Rider's stay in prison...


**Ok, this is going to be **_**VERY DARK AND CREEPY**_**, so if you do not like **_**VERY DARK AND CREEPY**_**, then go read some fluffy stuff. **

**Enjoy!**

I Want to See You Break 

The Captain of the Guard walked with that sense of arrogance a man usually finds himself obtaining after years of living with great power over the majority. He held his head high, arched his back slightly as to show his superiority, and his less-than-handsome features never altered from that infamous smug expression. Although the King, himself, had asked for his attendance during the trail of Flynn Rider, the Captain was walking briskly down the yellow cobblestone path leading towards that very criminal's cell at that very hour.

He didn't plan to stay long, anyways. He was just going to have a little sport of fun before returning to his proper seat in the courtroom. He wasn't going to miss Flynn Rider's trial for the world.

His lips curved into an ironic smile with the thought of what would happen within the next few moments. His hand against his right calf curled tightly around the handle of the whip. He let out a soft chuckle.

His footfalls echoed loudly across the treacherous darkness of the dungeon, and he was aware of the prisoners beginning to stir. When some went as far as to call him names, or shout out pleas for mercy, he never failed to give that criminal a good blow to the ribs or head—whichever was closer—through the iron bars.

After some profanity being uttered from his lips, kicks being given from his boots, and spits given from his mouth, he eventually found himself standing in front of Rider's cell.

He found Rider quietly pacing his dark cell nervously, obviously in deep thought.

_Thinking of an escape plan, no doubt!_

There were only a mere few hours until dawn—a mere few hours left for Flynn Rider to exist. Even the most black hearted person's heart would bleed with the sight of the man.

But not the Captain.

He liked to see—criminals especially—squirm under his breath. He liked to see them beg for mercy. Oh, he enjoyed seeing their fear more than anything else this world had to offer.

He, again, smiled a cold smile to himself.

He fumbled with his ring of keys, before entering, and when he did Rider turned around quickly from his place by the window to face him.

The Guard licked his lips in anticipation. He liked it when the prisoner was scared. Or else that would take all of the fun out of it. And Rider was, indeed, scared. He could see it in the way he moved, and the way his eyes had darted around the cell when he heard it being opened. Oh, this was going to be the most fun he had had in years.

Flynn remained silent. He had already been given some bread and water, and prisoners weren't executed until dawn. So it was oblivious to him as to why the guard would visit his cell at this time of night.

"Let's get this over with, Rider."

The Guard spoke quietly, but Flynn heard every word.

"What do you mean? The sun is still not—"

That's when he saw the whip.

Flynn didn't like to consider himself a coward, but he still felt the blood drain from his face leaving a deathly pale expression, and his heart jumped into his throat and it was suddenly very difficult to breathe.

The Guard locked the cell door behind him quietly, and moved toward the shackles hanging from the ceiling of the cell. He hadn't used them in years, but his hands still remembered how to unbuckle them.

"T-torture"-the word itself sent shivers down his spine— "is…illegal."

The words sounded pathetic and more like a frightened child had just spoken, but Flynn couldn't help the shaking of his voice. He watched as the Guard continued to unfasten the chains from the ceiling of the cell, but his eyes continued to wander to the whip hanging from the Guards belt.

It was true that one of first laws the King established was that prisoners were not to be tortured. The Guard, of course, had tried to make the King understand the ridicule in that, but the King would not listen. He had told him that it was "barbaric" and "uncivilized". Barbaric and uncivilized be damned!

The Guard couldn't help but laugh at Rider's small plea.

"And who do you think they'll listen to? A thief damned to die in hours or the Captain?"

He had finished his task, and the chains rattled as they made their descent. The Guard turned to Rider, and both men stared at the other for a moment. Never before and two men so unalike in quality and dignity stare at the other in the way they were now.

The Guard broke the silence with a short, sharp whistle, and the two men stationed outside of Rider's cell walked in, and were upon Rider before he knew what was happening.

After much struggle and a few threatening laughs from all three guards, Flynn had his shirt and vest torn and his hands chained to the ceiling. Although it had been years since a prisoner was tortured, the two guards who had succeeded in chaining Rider knew that the Captain preferred to be alone in his lashings, so they reluctantly left the cell, leaving Rider and Captain alone.

Fear had paralyzed him, but know an anger surged through Flynn, and he struggled against the chains. He had almost finished his plan for escape, and if it weren't for the bastard who called himself Captain, he would be one step closer to rescuing her. His heart strings felt tight at the thought of what she was going through in the hands of the Stabbingtons.

"You don't understand! Rapunzel's in trouble! The Brothers, the Stabbingtons, have her! Please, if you would just—"

His words were cut off by the sudden sharp, searing pain coursing all through his back. He did not scream, nor gasp as most prisoners did. He only grit his teeth, and squeezed his eyes shut, as he felt his own blood drip form his open flesh.

The first lashing was always the most painful.

"You know, Rider, I never liked liars."

The Guard raised the whip a second time and it made that infamous cracking sound before it found its mark. Still, Rider did not scream or call out to God for mercy. Not even a gasp escaped his sure-to-be dry lips.

This irritated the Guard immensely.

He wanted to see the man before him break like a worthless twig. He wanted to see him scream and beg for mercy. He wanted this man to be in a pain, so unbearable, that he yelled in anguish.

What the Guard didn't know was that Rider _was_ in more pain than he had even been in before. And it wasn't because of the lashings or the feeling of suffocation one feels from being chained to a ceiling.

It was because, he had just found meaning in his life and it slipped away from him. No—not slipped away. Stolen. He had just found love for the first time in his life, but she was probably cursing his name (as everyone else in the Kingdom was) at that very moment. He had just found a ray of sunshine in his dark, twisted life and she was gone.

Possibly forever.

The lashings were little torment compared to the agony in his heart and mind.

But the Guard did not know this. His face only contorted in anger as he slowly curled his fingers around the handle of the whip and brought it down a third time. His confusion only rose when Rider gave no sign of being in pain, yet a third time. So the Guard began to speak. If he couldn't make him suffer physically, mentally was an equal substitute.

"You should probably thank the Stabbingtons, Rider. They're doing her a favor, taking her away from you."

He had no idea who this girl Rider had spoken of earlier was, nor did he care. The damage was done. He saw the muscles of Rider's bare back tense, and a small gasp of pain finally escaped his lips with the fourth lashing.

The Guard chuckled darkly, and with zeal he added: "She's probably better off without you! What makes you think you're even worthy of love, hmm? Surely you must be some form of Satan, for no man could take four lashings without a tear!"

Again, the Guard was ignorant in his thoughts. Rider's back was facing him, so he could not have seen the silent, cold tear sliding down Flynn's check at the mention of Rapunzel's love for him. How could he even _think_ a beautiful and innocent young woman would ever fall for the likes of him?

The fifth lash cut deeper than the previous four into his flesh and a more audible gasp of pain echoed off of the cold, dark walls.

Chuckling at his victory of finally seeing the prisoner beginning to break, he added: "I'm only getting warmed up," before bringing the whip down a sixth time.

"Ah, Captain! We have been expecting you. Please, have a seat." The King nodded toward the only vacant seat in the room before turning his attention to address the rest of the High Court. Many members of the Court sent puzzled expressions in the Captain's direction, for he had the oddest composure ever seen in a Court room.

He was smiling so broadly for a man who had come late to a Royal meeting, and his entire face was covered with sweat. It was also noted by many, that he was panting heavily as he took his seat next to the King's advisor.

The King, taking no note of all this, said, "Gentleman, you know this case and this man well, so I beg of you to call upon your sense and your God, and not to make any rash or regrettable decisions in choosing the fate of a condemned man," the King's eyes swept across the room before adding, "All in favor of mercy?"

An eerie and deafening silence seemed to vibrate through the room as the King, and _only_ the King, raised his hand.

After looking through the entire court, to make sure he wasn't the only one, he lowered his hand back down and sighed.

"So be it."

**So….tell me what you didn't like, what you liked, and what you would have liked if it was a little different. Tell me if it was confusing or hard to follow, so I can re-write it. **


End file.
